Dumb Luck or New Royalty at the Rolex 24?

Alegra Motorsports blew away expectations at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this Sunday. A combination of all the right factors meshed to create the winning combination.

It always warms my cockles when the underdog wins. Maybe it’s the years of indoctrination with shitty sentimental ‘90s “comeback movies” but goddamn does it feel good to see those that are looked over come out on top.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JANUARY 28: Racers drive through the darkness during the 24 Hours of Daytona IMSA Weathertech series race at Daytona International Speedway on January 28, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)

Totally not making any reference to the state of global politics either – although it’s always nice to know that while we seemingly teeter on the edge of oblivion we can immerse ourselves in the sport of watching people go super-fast in aerodynamic metal boxes around and around.

Tangent notwithstanding, Alegra Motorports win at the Rolex 24 in Daytona on Sunday came out of nowhere. They rode their asses off to be sure, but the sudden engine failure of the Scuderia Ferrari gave them just the window they needed to get out there and seize the pole (no homo).

Alegra claims its first win in a decade at Daytona, and the team – filled with Rolex 24 newcomers – was ecstatic about the results:

“Obviously very excited to be here. It was just unbelievable for us. We had the right team, the right drivers, the right equipment … Everything after that is luck. It’s just been amazing. I can’t believe we’re actually sitting here. I’m still in shock right now, so just bear with me. These kids were just unbelievable. We went to the first test and they performed extremely well. They were just so cautious, they listen, they weren’t pushing the car too hard. They were being safe with it and what more can you use from these kids?”

Nikola is a carbon-based life-form residing on Earth dimension C-137. Lover of all things fast and furious. When he's not tapping away at a keyboard, he can be found aimlessly drifting in cyberspace, looking for signs of intelligent life.